Could a drug cocktail let head and neck cancer patients skip radiation?

NCT ID NCT04722523

Recruiting now Disease control Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This early-stage study is testing whether adding the immunotherapy drug cemiplimab to standard chemotherapy and cetuximab before surgery is safe for people with advanced head and neck cancer. The goal is to see if this combination can control the cancer well enough that patients might not need radiation after surgery. About 40 participants will receive the drugs over several weeks, then have surgery, and researchers will monitor side effects closely.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: cemiplimab (immunotherapy), cisplatin or carboplatin (chemotherapy), docetaxel (chemotherapy), cetuximab (targeted therapy)
What this could lead to: If successful, this combination could allow some patients to skip radiation after surgery, reducing long-term side effects while still controlling the cancer.
What could go wrong: This is a very early (Phase 1) pilot study with only 40 people, so safety and effectiveness are not yet proven. The drug combination may cause serious side effects, and it is unclear if it will truly replace radiation.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

head and neck cancer Head and Neck Neoplasms head and neck squamous cell carcinoma malignant tumor of neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

HEAD AND NECK CANCER HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA HEAD CANCER HEAD CANCER NECK HNSCC NECK CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (Limited Protocol Activities)
RECRUITING

Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (Limited Protocol Activities)
RECRUITING

Montvale, New Jersey, 07645, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
RECRUITING

New York, New York, 10065, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center @ Suffolk-Commack (Consent only)
RECRUITING

Commack, New York, 11725, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (Limited Protocol Activities)
RECRUITING

Middletown, New Jersey, 07748, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (Limited Protocol Activites)
RECRUITING

Rockville Centre, New York, 11553, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester (Limited Protocol Activities)
RECRUITING

Harrison, New York, 10604, United States

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